Loader-bar, control tube, and coal loading machine



sm wwaa mw- Aug. 4; 1959 M. T. COFFMAN ,8

LOADER-BAR, CONTROL TUBE, AND COAL LOADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR PROGRESS/Vi BY A 9 NOV! Mi? (9 v A ATTORN Aug. 4, 1959 M. T. COFFMAN LOADER-BAR, CONTROL TUBE, AND COAL LOADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 13, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ////y// 1IE E ATTO NEY Aug? 1959 M. T. COFFMAN 2,897,946

LOADER-BAR, CONTROL TUBE AND COAL. LOADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I REE I I 93 A" 3 INVENTOR 6/ I A; ORNEY Aug. 4, 1959 M. T. COFFMAN LOADER-BAR, CONTROL TUBE, AND com. LOADING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 15, 1954 INVENTOR ATTOR EY United States PatentO noisnnR-Mnco TRor. TtiBn ANncoAL- 7 invention relates to a coal loading machine coil structed to work thin seams. Itis assurned that the coal to be loaded is cut and/or sheared and shotdownand the cuttings removed from the curf cut by the coal cutting machine as in general practice. g in One of the objects of my invention is to provide a cornpact coal loading machine which may jbe progressively moved beneath a dractured'cut of coal for dlslodging the aggregate and delivering the aggregateto a conveyor for removal of the coalas fast as thecoal accumulates.

Another object of my invention is to; providea construction of loader bar and mechanism for impulsirfg the V bar beneath afractured cut of coal for deliveringthe'coal I toadisc-hargeconveyor. I

Another object of my invention is to provide an assembly of chiselbar, loader bar and conveyor and mech- 'anism for coordinating the operation thereof for the rapid loading of coal in; a fractured cut of warm a coal mine.

Other and further objects-of my invention reside in the arrangement of the coal loading mechanism as set forth in the specification hereinafter following by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machineof my invention showing the loading boom moved to a position over the conveyor;- I g n Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the machine {shownin Fig 1 looking at the machine from-the drive side;-

Fig; 3 a front elevational view of the machine shown in Fi -1 a Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional .view taken through the loading section-illustrating the loader bar which contains a multiplicity of longitudinally extending steps therein associated witha counterweight and the means operated through the center ot'gravity of the counterweight for biasing the bar to move it toavertical upward position and the-means-for moving the bar downwardly intermediate the upward movement thereof; the view showing the loader ba-r 'moved-to-itslowenmost P s t Fig. 5 is 'a view similar to the view illustratedin "Fig; 4 but showing the loader bar moved-to itswextremeupward po i Fig. 6 is a horizontalsectionalview through theloader bar of Figs. 4'and- 5, the view being taken substant'ially on line 6- -6 of-Fig-r4 and wherein the cranksfoi moving the bar downwardly have been shown intl'ie'horizontal positions thereof in order to clarify the disclosure;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 7- 7'0f Figl6;

Fig. 9 'is "a transverse modified ferns of m invention illustrating 10 extending crank passing through a slot loca t ter ofgi avit of-the cbfiiitdfWightfth nv nfiiivelhent in 'vet't 2 lustratingthe counterweight loader bar in its lose-fines position; I V Fig. 10 is a view similar to' the viewinu'stet" g 9 but showing the eanterweight'and' ieaderaa'r' moved to its extreme upward position;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to the view'sslfo'vvri iiiFigs'l 9 and 10 but illustrating the ldri'g'itudifiallie'iitn moved in its orbit to the extreme left within the slot through the center of gravity of thecount' eiglii't;- the view illustrating the tan that the ihdvfn nt of the counterweight and the loader b'ar'is restricted to a vertical plane and having no movement in a lateral direction;

Fig, 12 is a fragmentary view sinners-the newsm t'r'ated in Figs.- 9-1'1 hufillu'strating the longitudinally extending crank md e'ainits oi'bit to the ei't'riiie right while maintaining the indvementof; the cbiintefweight and loader bar wholly in a vertical:direction;

Fig. 13 is a hor zontal sectional view'tak'e'n thrbu'gh the counterweight andlongitudinallyeitending crank for driving'the counterweight of the idea ofmy invention shdw'n in Figs. 9-11, the view being partially broken away and shown in longitudinal section;

Fig. 14 isjari' elevational view of the drive means for the longitudinally extending crams snswn in' the form of my invention-illustfated in Figs. 9-1-3;

Fig. is is aside elevati'ofial view;'of'tlie1oading boom employed on the can loading menus of m invention,

'the View being broken awa and illustrated in sectionto Fig. 19 1's a venie'ai sectional view taken on line i 9 -l9 ofFig. 15; and

Fig. 20 is a diag'fammatic view showing two of the "machines of invention operating at a working face of coal.

The niachine'iiiveiited, is of steel alloy and: consists of a loader-liafin two seer-1011s. operated individually in unison (Figure l1 in the shape of an inverted L a cross-section of when (Figure 4) is a triangle with thhe'i'ght appidinaateiy one-half the width of base, with an inclined succession of steps with vertical risers of one inch (in this case to illustrate) from bottom to top on the hypotenuse. The number of steps varying Wi-ththe Height the load is to be raised. In the open sideofjhe inverted L is a conveyor of conventional design 'which entends approximately five feet'past the open endof the inverted L. Immediately at the open end of the loaderbar and falst'ehe'dto the side of the conveyor isencased iha'chine'r'y 8; consisting of motive power, clutches; wire ciablze reels Sfd'i' locomotion, hydraulic pump, etc; (Figures The length of the loader-bar is seven feet from; the machine case. Over and above the leading edge of the loading-bar, a" do iible -threadbar extends. "It carries a follower from which anarrn extends and on which-,: -is fastened a fplowshafe -5. 'I hisdouble-thread-bar (Eigs. 115919) is in a tube which has two open slots on opposite sides, the length at are means. The lower li er slot opening supports and guides the plo'wshar in it s traveling back and forth. The pipe foremenaned',steadied to the macniaery'ease and pivots from thatpoint and on top of the flip the far iid; tr umas-asseshydraulic c'ylihder tram whlch a chis'elbarwo r'k's. a

The tube or pipe, with Iaeatieaeiparts iii and an it, can be moved aonzentany, an areyneni the leading edge of the loader-bar, to "then? right lianacorfier of is at the same time, moving up and down one inch-in this caseat 360 times per minute. And all of the above- I mentioned machinery is movable horizontally, by means of jackpipes and blocks and wire rope, as a conventional coal cutting machine does.

The entire machine is on a sheet metal base, with wedge-shaped 2 leading edge in front of loader-bar (Figure 1). The loader-bar rubs against turned-up edges of the base.

The machine moves under the pile of material by continually working its way under the aggregate, raising the turbed. And the continually controlled moving of the plowshare, the hydraulic chisel and the continual up and down movement of the loader-bar, as they conjointly move horizontally on the pavement or floor, under the material, coact to perform the loading operation.

Further versatility and adaptability of the invented loader bar can be described by representing that should the pavement or floor on which the coal lies, tilt down forward, the forward end of the loader-bar can be swung ahead by tightening the tail-rope of the machine; the material then tending to come forward as well as up and over the loading-bar. If the floor tilts up, the loader-bar is swung the other way by regulating the tail-rope. This adjustment can be made to the diminishing point. Should the coal become excessively heavy in height, horizontal movement is stopped and the top coal disturbed with blade arm causing it to fall over the top of the bar whereupon the arm can resume horizontal movement.

One advantage of the loading machine of my invention is its comparatively short length-the same as the average cutting machinewhich enables safety posts to be carried close to the coal face, as required by law.

Part marked 1 on all sections consists of a stepped loading section which moves vertically to raise the coal over the side of the conveyor 7. The movement comes from a cam shaft with the drive in housing 8.

Part marked 2 has a triangular metal cutting edge, all around, and forms a part of the base plate 3 in the loading area.

Part marked 3 is a continuous base plate under the entire machine. The machine is pulled over the floor on this plate by means of wire rope drums 33 and 34 mounted on housing 8.

Part marked 4 is a double thread bar (Figs. 15-18).

Part marked 5 is a disturber shaped as a plowshare and traveling along the double thread bar 4 as well as around it and whose function is to push coal toward the vibrating stepped loading section 1.

Part marked 6 is a chisel-bar to assist in disturbing material.

Part marked 7 is a conveyor-of standard construction.

Part marked 8 is the housing for the conveyor (7) drive, boom 4, ploughshare 5 and drill (6) drive and the wire rope drums 33 and 34 for the machine travel.

Part marked 9 is an apron to evenly distribute load across conveyor 7.

Referring to Figs. 15-19:

Part marked 10 is a tube or slotted housing.

Part marked 11 is a double thread bar, on which the follower nut 12 runs to which is attached arm 5 which holds the blade or plowshare.

' Part marked 13 is a rack around and attached to part f 10 turned by pinion wheel 16.

Parts 14 are thrust collars fastened to tube 10.

Part 15 is an eye in which tube 10 is supported and in which it is manually turned by wheel 16 through rack 13.

Bar 11 extends to end of tube 10 and is driven by the hydraulic impeller to which a hydraulic rubber hose feeds. Bar 11 is approximately 2" in diameter.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 4-8 the counterweight 17 which is secured to the underface of the stepped section 1 of the loader bar includes steps in the upper surface thereof which are contiguous with at least two of the steps in the loader bar. Coil springs 18 bias the counterweight 17 to move to a vertical upward position. The counterweight 17 is recessed or slotted at one side in the positions indicated at 19 for receiving the ends of the cranks 20 which have sleeves 24 thereon fitting within the slots 19. The cranks 20 have worm gears 21 mounted on the ends thereof; the gears are driven by the worms 22 carried by drive shaft 22a driven by motor 23 mounted in the housing 8. The arrangement of slots 19 is such that cranks 20 with the bearing sleeves 24 located thereon move the counterweight 17 only in a vertical plane while the cranks may be displaced within the slots 19 so that there is no longitudinal movement of counterweight 17, as shown more clearly in the fragmentary elevational view of Fig. 7.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 9-14 the counterweight is illustrated at 25 disposed beneath the stepped loader bar 21 and having a longitudinally extending slot 26 therein disposed along the center of gravity of the counterweight. Coil springs 18 bias the counterweight vertically upwardly. A longitudinally extending crank 27 having bearing sleeve 29 thereon extends longitudinally through the slot 26 and is driven from the end 28 thereof through worm gear 30 operated by worm 31 driven by motor 23 located within housing 8. Crank 27 in operating in its orbit moves counterweight 25 downwardly against the bias action of coil springs 18 while the stepped loader bar is urged upwardly by the tension exerted by coil springs 18. By reason of the extended slot 26 the crank 27 controls the movement of the counterweight only in a vertical plane (Figs. 9 and 10) and there is no movement of the counterweight or loader bar transversely as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferred embodiments I realize that modifications may be made and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A coal loader comprising a movable base, a longitudinally extending loader-bar mounted on said base, said loader-bar having a multiplicity of longitudinally extending steps therein, means for biasing said bar to move to a vertically upward position, and means for moving said bar downwardly intermediate the vertically upward movement thereof in which said means for moving said bar downwardly intermediate the vertically upward movement thereof includes a counterweight attached to the inner surface of the top of said loader-bar.

2. A coal loader comprising a movable base, a longitudinally extending loader-bar mounted on said base, said loader-bar having a multiplicity of longitudinally extending steps therein, means for biasing said bar to move to a vertically upward position, and means for moving said bar downwardly intermediate the vertically upward movement thereof in which said means for moving said bar downwardly includes a counterweight beneath said bar and driving means extending through said counterweight for imparting movement thereto in a substantially vertical direction.

3. A coal loader comprising a movable base, a longitudinally extending loader-bar mounted on said base, said loader-bar having a multiplicity of longitudinally extendand driving means extending through said counterweight for imparting movement thereto in a substantially vertical direction, said counterweight including steps in the upper surface thereof which are contiguous with at least two of the steps in said loader-bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hamilton Sept. 20, 1904 Sabes Feb. 26, 1952 

